Medical instruments, in particular microinvasive surgical instruments, have a growing number of degrees of freedom. This allows medical staff to carry out increasingly complex activities and increasing numbers of different activities using a single instrument. For example, in the case of a needle holder or another gripping or cutting tool at the distal end of a long, thin shaft, the option to bend the tool relative to the shaft is desirable for some applications. A possibility of bending or pivoting the tool about an axis perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft can enable gripping or cutting in a direction that otherwise cannot be reached.
In the case of reusable medical instruments, the possibility of disassembling the tool as extensively as possible as a prerequisite for thorough cleaning is of particular importance. To this end, screw threads or bayonet closures can be used, which are generally locked in a suitable manner. Conventional concepts however cannot be transferred to a medical instrument with a bendable shaft or cannot be easily transferred.